Our previous clock radio was a stereo Akai AM/FM with an LED display. Nothing special about it but the main problem was that we liked to wake up to an AM station with a weak signal. The power meter is on that side of the house, so the radio would emit loud static when it came on until I got up and placed it on the floor near the window. This was ridiculous, I know.

When digital DAB+ radios were launched, most were mono and had LCD displays — not suitable as clock radios. Finally, clock radios emerged and so I popped out to Dick Smith to buy one.

I bought a Philips clock radio, model AJB1002/79 for around $129.95 a couple of months ago.

I’ve been playing a lot of Xbox 360 games lately which have involved using the clumsy, slow on screen text input keyboard which using the controller’s thumbpad to move between keys. This method takes a while and is very tedious, especially when playing games such as Viva Piñata which has dozens of instances of naming characters all throughout its gameplay.

The Nikon D5000 is a mid-priced digital SLR that has been on the market for over six months. I bought mine last November from JB-HiFi for around AU$1364 as a “kit”, that is, bundled with a Nikkor AF-S DX VR 55-200 mm zoom lens f/4-5.6G IF-ED. It replaces the D90 and has a smaller body.

While it is by no means a professional-grade camera, it has enough quality features to use for money-making purposes.

Book written by Dan Zarrella,
November 2009, O’Reilly MediaeBook $15.99, Paperback $19.99

“An extremely valuable resource on understanding and applying social media for both the individuals, and business. The book is a great introduction that can help you to get started.”

– Ben Rothke, Slashdot.org

Business owners and organizations have long used advertising to promote themselves and their products. But advertising in the newspapers, magazines, radio, and television isn’t working like it used to.

As a result, advertisers are shifting away from traditional media. How social media is changing from “one-way, static broadcast technologies” to more direct, personal, and interactive messages forms the basis for The Social Media Marketing Book, by Dan Zarella. Blogs, Facebook, Linkedin, YouTube, Twitter, and a host of other social networking sites are becoming the face of advertising in the 21st century.Keep reading…

A few days ago, my magicJack lost all its phone numbers. I thought it must be a glitch and rebooted the PC, but no go. I allowed a day to pass, and no go. I finally went to the magicJack website and got this unhelpful text, suggesting that a lot of customers had called them:Keep reading…

Plants vs Zombies, developed by Pop Cap Games, Inc. is a game I recently downloaded from the iTunes App Store for use on both my iPhone 4 and iPod Touch. With the ability to produce hours upon hours of gameplay with a decent amount of replay value, the simple touch-screen strategy game is a game I would highly recommend to anybody.

Windows 7, The Missing Manual

As a computer user since 1984 and an instructor for the past ten years, I found this book an amazing read. David Pogue’s humor keeps me turning pages and I simply could not put it down. The information on this new operating system herein is an invaluable resource for both the novice and the well seasoned computer user.Keep reading…

My ResMed Swift LT mask (aka a “nasal pillows system”) cost me AU$289, but the US price is around US$121. That makes mine more than twice the US price (mental note for next US trip to buy one there). ResMed is an Australian company with global offices; the mask package is “made” in Singapore but the bag, pillows and tube retainer are made in China. Even with our 10% GST, this kind of pricing is not surprising to Australians.

As a recently diagnosed sufferer of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), I need to use a breathing aid to ensure that I don’t have too many apneas in my sleep and cause some lasting damage.

The Philips SBC HC8445/HC8440/34 rechargeable wireless headphones are handy for watching TV or listening to music while using a treadmill or while others are asleep. At 618 g nett, they are not unduly heavy and they cup adult ears nicely.